St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-08-26
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Wreck of the Schooner Clara
The Sole Survivors, Experienee.


MILLER, Ind, Aug. 25.-The schooner
Clara, of Manistee, was driven ashore
yesterday and her wreehage strewn
along the beach for miles. Capt. Olson
her master and owner, and one of the
sailors lost their lives, and John Gus
tavson, the mate, escaped by swimming
ashore on plank. The vessel was
bound for Chicago with cargo of hard
wood lumber. She left Manistee Mon
day morning with light wind, but
toward night Squall swept down upon
her from the northeast, jerking her head
sails out of the bolt ropes and crippling
her so that she became unmanageable.
All night long she staggered before the
gale, which kept increasing in violence.
The sea ran high and the waves swept
her decks of everything movable.
she arrived off Chicago in such
disabled condition that it was
impossible to bring her into harbor
and she was driven up the lake. RealiZ-
ing that she was soon TO be on the beach,
Capt. Olson let go of the anchor when
abreast of this place, but the fiukes
failed to hold and she dragged on sand
bar half mile from the shore. The
seas kept raging over her, and the crew
of three men were compelled to climb
into the rigging and
LASH THEMSELVES
to keep from being washed overheard.
In less than all hour the coverings of
the matches were carried away, and the
sea swept into the hold, filling it to the
decks. Then she rolled over on her
side, and Hans Christensen was carried
away on the crest of wave. Capt Oh
son and Gustavson got hold of plank.
1t was raining hard and the night was
so dark they could see nothing, but
they clung to the plank with
the hope that the waves would push
it onward to the beach. GuStavSOn says
he heard loud cry, and OH looking be-
hind him saw the captain had relaxed
his hold and was fast disappearing be-
meath the waves He was unable to
help him, and the captain went down.
Gustavson does not recolIect much
about his battle for life. Three times
the plank turned over and buried him in
the water, but he hung on to it and was
washed bleeding and SenSeleSS on the
sandy beach. When he regained his
senses he was lying upon his back with
the rain pelting OH his face. There was
not house in sight, for the village was
three miles back from the lake. Naked,
bruised and bleeding he made his. way
along the beach to the club house of the
Calumet Shooting club. He had just
enough strength left to give feeble
rap on the door, and when it opened
HE FELL PAINTING
across the threshOld.~-He was carried
in and kindly cared for until he recOv-
cred sufficiently to relate his story, and,
after being provided with clothing, he
took the train to Chicago. Before leav-
ing GustavSon went down to the beach
to see what had become of the wreck.
He found that it had broken up and the
broken timbers and cargo We're scattered
in every direction. The captains chest,
which Gustavson said contained
q large sum of money, was
found, but it was broken open
and the contents missing. Gustavson
thinks the chest had been rifled by
thieves. Neither of the bodies has been
recovered. All day and tonight crowd
from the village has been on the beach.
picking up the cargo as it drifted ashore
and hauling it away. By morning there
will not be much left to mark the rest
ing place of the vessel. Ben Langlois,
of the Chicago life-Saving crew, who
came down here with reporter, says he
never saw such hungry lot of thieves
around wreck in his life.